title: Verbal learning contributes to cognitive insight in schizophrenia independently of affective and psychotic symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Patients with schizophrenia exhibit distorted beliefs and experiences, and their own evaluation of this is labeled cognitive insight. We examined the relationship between cognitive insight and neurocognition, as well as the contribution of neurocognition in explaining cognitive insight.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinically characterized patients with schizophrenia (n=102) were assessed with a measure of cognitive insight, Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) and a neuropsychological test battery. The contribution of neurocognition to the explained variance in BCIS components self-reflectiveness (i.e. objectivity and reflectiveness) and self-certainty (i.e. overconfidence in own beliefs) was examined controlling for current affective and psychotic symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant negative correlation was found between self-certainty and verbal learning, whereas no associations were found between self-reflectiveness and any of the neuropsychological tests. Verbal learning was added significantly to the explained variance in self-certainty after controlling for potential confounders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High self-certainty was associated with poor verbal learning. This suggests that overconfidence in own beliefs is associated with cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Psychosis Research Unit, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo, Norway. john.engh@medisin.uio.no
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Engh
authors.forename: Kjetil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sundet
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simonsen
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaskinn
authors.forename: Trine V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Lagerberg
authors.forename: Stein
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Opjordsmoen
authors.forename: Svein
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Friis
authors.forename: Ole A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Andreassen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003469:Culture; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D014888:Wechsler Scales